Brake closure



May 12, 193L R, J. NQRTON ,805,83

BRAKE CLOSURE Filed 'April 12, 1930 merals ap ilatented May l2, will ldSJSll ernten M'MGND d'. NORTON, 0F WSHINGTON, DISTREGT 0F COLUMBIA., ASSIGNOR TO RENDE?,

EME fOMPANY, 0F SQUTH BEND, HTDIANA, A COREORATON OF ILLNDIS BRAKE CLGSURE Application led April 12,

ylhis invention relates to brake structures.`

The ordinary type of brake apparatus employed on automotive vehicles and airplanes comprises a rotating drum, liXed to the wheel, and one or more nonrotatable braking members. When the nonrotatable members are of the internal expanding type, these are generally protected against mud, water, dirt, and extraneous matter, by means of a metallic leaching plate. rlhis backing plate may either be ofrelatively thin metal stamping or a metal member heavy enough to take the brake torque. l/Vhere the backing plate is a thin stamping, it is'generall secured to a heavier metallic element, whic latter elenient takes the heavy thrust incident to the braking operation.

ln order to properly subserve their protective function, these backing plates must be so formedl as to provide a relatively small clearance for the drum. This clearance is diihcult to obtain with stamped parts, and particularly with cast metal parts. ln addition to this disadvantage, such members also present the disadvantage oi relatively easy corrodihility.

lt is an object oit this invention to provide a novel type of brake closure.

Another object is to provide a moulded brake drum closure.

A urther object is to provide a nonmetallic backing plate for a drum.

Yet another object is to provide a noncorrodiole backing plate for a brake drum.

Yet a further object is to provide a backing plate comprising a mouldable and machinable nonmetallic member..

A further object is to provide a metalloresin backing plate.. i

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprehends the concept of providing a brake drum closure which is comprised of a mouldable plastic such as a synthetic resin.l ln order to render the invention more readily understood, a physical embodiinent is shown in the accompanying drawings. ln these, the same reference nuly to the several parts throughout the severa views of which- 1930. Serial No. 443,987.

ing plate. ln the drawings, a brake struc-` ture on the rear wheel of an automobile is shown, but this is to be taken as ty ical of any brake installation, whether'it e on a dirigible wheel or on a landing gear of an air lane.

l s shown in the drawings, the assemblage includes such conventional structure as the aXle which is protected by the axle housing 2. At the outer end'of the axle there is se cured a hub 3. 0n this hub, the disk l (or equivalent rim-supporting means, such as spokes) is secured by any suitable means, the hub or' such as the bolts 5. Secured to to the wheel disk or spokes, is avbrahe drum 6. Mounted within the drum, and adapted to be expanded into Contact therewith, are the internal expanding shoes 7 All this is usual structure.

Either integrally or detachably secured to the axle housing, or other equivalent nonrotating part, is a spider 8. At its lower end, this is apertured to receive the anchor bolt 9. As is known, on this anchor bolt are pivoted the internal expandingshoes and through this bolt the brake stresses are transmitted to the spider. At anothersection of the spider, the operating shaft l() is journalled. This is shown as being mounted within an elongated bushing and secured at one end to the cam 11 (or other expanding means) and at the opposite ends to the lever l2 (or other actuating means). While' the cam shaftis shown as positioned diametrically opposite the anchor pin, it will be understood that it may be positioned at any desired circumferential point.

CTI

till

in accordance With the principles of the present invention, the Vdrum iscsealed or closed ot'f by means of a resinoid product. This is shown as comprising the dislt 13. rlhis meniber may comprise a synthetic resin ot the phenol methylene type, or other equivalent synthetic products, such as the iturtural, acetylene, urea, or resins of the glyptal type. This disk may, it" desired, comprise a substantially pure resin, but preferably it is made up either of a laminatedstructure in which the lamin comprise paper, canvas, or other cellular structure, or ay moulded resin having1 elted or loosely knitted cellular or other type of fillingr material.V

As shown, particularly in Figure 2, the dislr 13 completely closes oli the open tace of the drum and may be secured either to the interior or exterior surface of the spider hy any suitable form of securing' means, (shown for convenience as the rivet members lll),

ln mounting the hacking plate with refspect to the drum, its diameter may be chosen over size, that is to say, the disk may he chosen oi such a size 'that it abuts the drum. Upon rotation oit the drum, the abutting,r snrt'aces oi' the disk 13 will he abradcd and worn away to provide a relatively closely adjacent surface. In this manner, each disk i3 may he lit-ted, with ease, to the particular drum With which it is to he associated, andany inaccuracies in the forming of the drum are corrected by the conformity of the dislr to its actual curvature. rllhis is in sharp contradistinotion to the present type ot' hacking plate which, be-

ing of metal, can not he initially-installed with a tight fit, hut must he implaced with substantial clearance.

it desired, the resinoid haclringmemleer may be thickened at those sections which receive the cam shaft and anchor pin, so as to provide, in effect, an inteeral hashing. 'lhe physical characteristics or the moulded plastic, that is to say, its line zgrained structure and smooth surface, renders it particularly useful as a hush or hearing); structure.

desired, also, the tensile characteristics o the hacking plate may he considerably modiiied. Thus, for sample, metal dislts or metal Wires maybe permanently Venfibodied in the resin dislr, either throughout its surface or in those areas which receive braking,I thrust, as, 'For example, in tne area contiguous the anchor pin and the cam shaft. ln such circumstances, the closure member would, in etlect, comprise a metallo-resin leaching' plate, since the resin and the metalare permanently and integrally associated with each other. llt it is desired, also, the resin of the hacking plate may he moulded around a spider-like core ont the metal, so as to integrally unite the metallic torque-taking parte 'with the resin closure, to provide unitary assemhlarge. rElie size and design o1? the spider ray, oz course, he Widely varied, dependin upon the particw -memhen nannies lar type of brake employed and the position at which the backing plate is to bel moulded.

Also, if desired, the backing plate may be so moulded as to present web or tin-like sections extending in any given direction to provide increased strength and rigidity tor the 'l` his design may be correlated with the insertion of strengthening elements, such as metal wires or disks, so as to provide optimum tensile characteristics JiEor the closure. lt will also be appreciated that the provision oi' a backing; plate of a synthetic resin, With its highly desirable dialectic properties, renders it particularly eihcacious for use in electrically operated brakes.

lt will now be observed that the provision of a resinoid or a metallo-resinoid backing plate presents many advantages. ln the first place, the material is readily ormable or monldable, and can be made to conform to any desired shape. Secondly, by reason of its machinability, it may be run in7 to provide a minimum clearance between it and the drum, and thereby enable the securement ot a tight or small closure. a backing plate, this material can be used as at least a portion of the bearing surfaces of rotating; parts, such as the cam shalt.' By reason ot its easy ormability, it can be made up as a composite structure with metals so as to provide at once a torque-taking and a clo sure member. lt will be appreciated, of course, that the backing plate may be iii-st made up and secured detachahly to a metal member, or may be made up as a fusible it'orm of the resin and then transferred to the infnsihle form in Contact with the metal so as to be moulded directly thereon. desired, those portions of the backing' plate which are to serve as bearing surfaces may have vbodied therein lubricating media so as to provide a permanently lubricated hearing, such, for example, as is described in co-pending application, Serial No. ltl, tiled liecernber 7, i923.

Fiherelore, While a particular embodiment of the invention has been described, it to understood that this is susceptible of a Wide range ot modication within the scope olf the concepts herein involved, and hence invention is considered not to reside in a. perticular mounting or association ne haeltlng1 plate with the drum structure, het hrend ly in the concept of the provision of c. novel i type of brake drum closure.

l claim:

l. il moulded nonenetallic hralze drain closure.

2. llt hralre structure comprising a hralte drum and associated resinoid leaching plate.

3. i hralre strnctn isingr hralre drum and. an associated synthet' resin ha liing plate.

`When employed as 'alti fili 4. A non-metallic brake drum backing plate.

5. A brake apparatus comprising a metallic brake drum and a non-metallic disc positioned at the open face.

5' 6. A brake apparatus comprising a rotatable metallic brake drum and a non-rotatable non-metallic disc closure positioned at the open face of the drum.

w 7. A brake apparatus comprising a metallic brake drum and a resinoid backingv plate positioned at the open face of the drum.

8. A metallo-resin backing plate for a brake drum.

9. A backing plate comprising a resinoid disc having integral metal torque taking sections.

10. A closure structure for a backing plate comprising metallic torque taking members and a resinoid disc secured to the members.

11. A closure structure for a backing plate comprising a metallic spider and a non-metallic disc member detachably secured to the spider and closin the open face of the drum.

12. A moulde non-metallic brake drum backing late.

13. A acking plate for a brake drum comprising a disc-llke member of electric insulating material.

30, In testimony whereof I affix my signature RAYMOND J. NORTON. 

